What is the earliest you can medicate a child with add/adhd?

Question

restless, impulsive, trouble listening, now age 3 1/2.

Answer 1

That sounds more like typical behavior at that age. They usually won't start until school age.

What helped my girls with attention was getting rid of 95% of the toys that were electronic. Almost everything with lights, music, motorized and the such was gotten rid of. They play with blocks, Legos, dolls, stuffed animals, books, puzzles and any toy they have to manipulate. They still have Leapsters and a couple other things.

Answer 2

This is very normal behavior for a child of this age! They SHOULD have so much energy that you wish you could bottle it and sell it. My son is now 4 1/2, and still is very energetic, talks a mile a minute, and doesn't always listen.
I understand your concerns - I was just diagnosed as ADHD at 31 years old. My mother's first words were "Do you think ___ has it? He's always talking and has a hard time sitting still." Even though I think he's perfectly normal, I still asked his pediatrician at his next visit. (Moms can still do that to us). He said he would be more concerned if he wasn't like this. He's just very social and imaginative. He also said that most doctors won't even diagnose a child with ADHD until grade school.
Good luck. Have patience with him, and learn some new techniques (I found that telling my son to "put on his listening ears" and pretending to tune them before telling him something works really well). I know it can be frustrating, but that is just the way children are at this age (and I hear it gets worse when they are teenagers!).

Answer 3

You child is acting normal. It's called the trying three's. The earliest they will even test a child for ADD/ADHD is when they are 6 years old. But you have to know there are risks with medication. A friend of mine had her son on med's and he ended up in the hospital from the med's. Her choice was to keep him on the med's and have a 80% chance he would die from liver failure or take him off and let him be "wild"- I'm sure you can figure out what she chose. Your child is just testing the limits with you and is doing the normal Trying-Three's. Hang in there!

Answer 4

In Wisconsin it is 3 years old my son was diagnosis ed with ADHD when he was 2 and a half and he was a psychiatrist until after his 3rd birthday and was put on meds when he was 3 and a half he has been medicated for 3 years now and it does wonders. If you have any concerns that your child is ADD or ADHD get them help now so that the meds can be regulated and he can get on the right track.

Answer 5

Denying the get right of entry to to drugs for upload or ADHD may be comparable to denying get right of entry to to insulin for a diabetic. If the family individuals and clinical experts have self assurance it fairly is mandatory - it fairly is mandatory. in case you think of of drugs this form - it helps the newborn yet another 5 seconds to make a extra useful decision. It helps them to income a technique for self administration. on an analogous time as some toddlers do no longer respond nicely - there are various of ideas that working heavily with a chairman and the college to video exhibit adjustments in habit one way or yet another - will enable the MD to decide for yet another one. At a contemporary workshop on psychological well being and ASD/ADHD the presentor indicated that when a newborn is on drugs - there'll be a volume of time the place habit gets worse and too many circumstances human beings end then somewhat than a great month trial to work out how nicely something does or would not artwork.

Answer 6

You should research the long term effects of putting your child on stimulant drugs such as depression, mood swings and drug abuse. Often doctors overmedicate children with ADHD making them feel high. When the drugs wear off the children crash. It's common for medicated children with ADHD to complain about the drug and to express thoughts of suicide. This doesn't go away later in life. Eventually the child will realise that Ritalin can be crushed and snorted. Kids with ADHD often sell their medication in high school to other students looking for a high.

It's normal for a toddler to act restless, impulsive and to have a small attention span. He's a child! If you care about your child at all, you will not put him on medication or claim he has ADHD at such a young age.

Answer 7

It is normal for toddlers to seem as if they are add/adhd. They will not usually medicate a child until they have reached age 5 or 6. Even then it can be hard.
Try adjusting your child's diet and make sure he/she has plenty of exercise.

Answer 8

you have to ignore ignorant people. 3 1/2 is way to young. There are some cookbooks for children with ADHD try alternative things first before even considering medicating your child. Because you don't know what effects that medication is going to have on your child. (kidneys, liver, heart etc) Just make sure you continue to do research.

Answer 9

A pediatrician will have to diagnose a child with add/adhd. Depending on the severity of what you describe - this may just be a typical behavior - especially if it's a boy.

Answer 10

You should medicate at the age of 4 1/2, 5 at the latest. As a K teacher, I can honestly tell you that students are required to perform and function at a higher level in line with Common Core standards. The symptoms that you are describing will make it extremely difficult for the child to transition successfully to 1st grade.